NCAA tournament expansion FAQ: What you need to know now that it's official - ESPN

It's finally official: The NCAA is expanding the men's and women's basketball tournaments by eight teams to new fields of 76, set to take immediate effect with this upcoming season.

Of the 68 teams in last season's tournaments, 31 were automatic bids — each conference receives one apiece — and 37 were at-large bids, chosen by the selection committees based on various metrics. The increase to 76 teams means 44 at-large bids will now be handed out, with 32 automatic bids needed due to the return of the Pac-12.

This is the first expansion for the men's tournament since 2011, when it grew from 65 to 68 teams. It's also the biggest expansion since 1985, when the field doubled from 32 to 64 teams.

The women's tournament has shifted more recently, making the jump to 68 teams in 2022. It had been a 64-team field since 1994, increasing incrementally in the decade since the first NCAA women's basketball tournament in 1982 (played with 32 teams).

The latest expansion raises the question: What does it mean for the sport of college basketball? Here's everything you need to know.

Go to: Men's Bracketology

The First Four is out, the Opening Round is in. Instead of eight teams playing in four games for a chance to advance to the round of 64, there will now be 24 teams playing in 12 such games. Half of said teams will be the lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers, the other the lowest-seeded at-large teams.

The NCAA will visually present the new Opening Round at the top of the bracket, with winners feeding into the classic 64-team field.

Here is what the 76-team bracket will look like: pic.twitter.com/BmJsJZ7pOY

On the men's side, the 12 games will be played on the Tuesday and Wednesday between Selection Sunday and when the round of 64